Toddler natural grip flatware

ABSTRACT

A toddler flatware using the natural finger grip for consuming food is disclosed. The flatware has an eating utensil, such as a spoon bowl, fork, or knife and a handle attached perpendicular to the eating utensil. The handle is flat with rounded edges and corners for a comfortable grip. The handle is secured between the thumb and the tips of the fingers, mimicking the natural act of eating with one&#39;s hands. The natural motion afforded by the flatware design facilitates the act of self-feeding, either by toddlers or by adults with impaired motor-function. It also facilitates the transition to traditional adult flatware.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PROVISIONAL APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/595,364 entitled, “ToddlerNatural Grip Flatware,” which was filed on Feb. 6, 2012 and isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This patentapplication also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/600,872 entitled, “Toddler NaturalGrip Flatware,” which was filed on Feb. 20, 2012 and is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments are generally related to eating utensils. Embodiments alsorelate to a toddler flatware. Embodiments additionally relate to aflatware that allows a toddler to self feed his/her food by utilizingnatural finger grip. Embodiments also relate to flatware that allowspersons with debilitating disabilities or reduced motor function to feedthemselves by utilizing a natural finger grip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a multitude of flatware on the market claiming to bespecifically designed for toddlers. Such products are generally scaleddown to fit a child's smaller mouth and hands, and typically have somesort of modification to the handle intended to facilitate gripping.These modifications can be anything from a coating of a rubberizedmaterial, a longer handle, a fatter handle, a handle with ridges orother gripping features, etc. However, all of these solutions end upencouraging the child to grip the spoon in the typical “toddler grip”,which has several disadvantages. Although it is a natural way ofgrabbing something, it is not a natural way of eating. This, coupledwith a toddler's developing motor skills, often proves to be frustratingand messy. Then, the “toddler grip” is completely different from an“adult grip”. This means that, once the child has mastered eating withthe “toddler grip”, he/she must then be completely retrained to make thetransition. Again, this adds frustration during a very important stagein human development.

The following examples are just some of the many products on the market.There are several lines of toddler silverware, such as “Gripables”,which have longer handles with over-molded grip rings, “Soft Tip n'Grip” which have contoured handles with “finger holds”, or “Sassy LessMess Toddler Self-feeding Spoon” which have chunky handles at an anglefrom the spoon bowl.

Consider the case of a toddler observed trying to feed herself with atypical toddler spoon. She tried several times to scoop dry cereal ontothe spoon bowl using the “toddler grip” as shown in FIG. 1A. The toddlerkept failing because she was grabbing the handle at an axial rotationsuch that the bowl was not perfectly horizontal as shown in FIG. 1B.Even when the grip was corrected, the toddler had a hard time with thescooping action. Eventually she gave up and started eating the drycereal with her fingers, using a “natural finger grip”.

In a “natural finger grip”, the fingertips come together against the tipof the thumb to pinch and scoop food into the mouth. This grip, has beenused for millennia by the many cultures which, even to this day, eattheir foods using their hands. This worked fine enough for the toddler,but when she was again encouraged to use her spoon, she grabbed it fromthe spoon bowl using the “natural finger grip”.she had just been using(pinching the flat spoon bowl between her fingertips and the tip of herthumb) and proceeded to poke at the food with the tip of the handle.Although this was completely unsuccessful as far as scooping up thefood, her motions were completely natural and she seemed better able toexplore and manipulate her food around the bowl.

Therefore, a need exists for an improved flatware that allows a toddlerto grab the spoon using the “natural finger grip”. Such a design wouldalso be helpful to people who, through disease, injury, or old age, mayhave diminished strength, dexterity, or motor control.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of someof the innovative features unique to the disclosed embodiment and is notintended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the variousaspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be gained by taking theentire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

It is, therefore, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide foreating utensils.

It is another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide for atoddler flatware.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide for aflatware that allows a toddler, or an adult with impaired motorfunction, to feed him/her self by utilizing natural finger grip.

The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can nowbe achieved as described herein. A toddler flatware using the naturalfinger grip for consuming a food is disclosed. The flatware has aneating utensil for holding a food to be consumed and a handle attachedperpendicular to the eating utensil. The eating utensil can be utilizedfor picking up the food with the fingers and putting it in the toddlermouth. The handle is secured between the thumb and the tips of fingersof the toddler. The eating utensil can be a spoon bowl or fork. Thehandle is flat with rounded edges and corners to comfort the toddlerwhile consuming the food.

The present invention encourages and facilitates the use of the naturalfinger grip. The natural finger grip closely mimics the body mechanicsof eating with one's hands, and can facilitate the use of flatware,especially to those with developing or diminished motor skills.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate viewsand which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification,further illustrate the disclosed embodiments and, together with thedetailed description of the invention, serve to explain the principlesof the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a prior art toddler spoon heldby a toddler using toddler grip;

FIG. 1B illustrates the perspective view of the prior art toddler spoondepicted in FIG. 1A, misaligned axially with bowl;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a natural finger grip of atoddler, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments;

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate perspective views of a toddler flatware, inaccordance with the disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the toddler flatware depictedin FIGS. 3A-3C held using the natural finger grip, in accordance withthe disclosed embodiments; and

FIGS. 5A-5B, 6A-6B and 7A-7C illustrate conceptual views of the toddlerflatware, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limitingexamples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least oneembodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.

The present invention uses the natural finger grip for consuming thefood. As shown in FIG. 2, in a natural finger grip 200, the fingertipscome together against the tip of the thumb to pinch and scoop food intothe mouth. This grip is the same used for millennia by the many cultureswhich, even to this day, eat their foods using their hands. Thus this isa very natural motion since it mimics the motion of picking up food withthe fingers and putting it in the mouth.

The present invention discloses a spoon or any other flatware whosehandle is designed to be gripped using a “natural finger grip”. FIGS.3A-3C illustrate perspective views of a toddler flatware for example aspoon 250, in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The spoon 250has a small shallow bowl 204 and a handle 202. The handle 202 isdesigned to be gripped using the natural finger grip 200.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the toddler flatware 250depicted in FIGS. 3A-3C held using natural finger grip 200, inaccordance with the disclosed embodiments for consuming food. Thismimics the motion of picking up food with the fingers and putting it inthe mouth using natural finger grip 200.

Several conceptual models 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 and 360 ofnatural grip flatware are shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, 6A-6B and 7A-7Crespectively, but it should be understood that the particulars of thedesign can vary. The embodiments can be in different combinations ofstainless steel with over-molded plastic handles or all-plasticconstructions. They were designed with a relatively large flat handle202 which is oriented perpendicularly to the spoon bowl 204. All edgesand corners on the flat handle 202 have been rounded for comfort. Theintent is for the flat shape to be secured between the thumb and thetips of the fingers; for this purpose any number of features may bedesigned into the handle 204 to improve grip. The handle 204 may also bedesigned to be large enough so that its back edge rests against thecrease of the palm of the folded hand for a more secure grip.

In addition to the toddler market, other applications are anticipatedfor flatware with these design characteristics. For example, adultssuffering from debilitating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis mayfind it easier to use natural grip flatware (adult-sized versions wouldbe designed). Likewise, senior citizens or any person with decreaseddexterity would benefit from this ergonomic design.

The main aspect of this innovation is the design of flatware whichencourages and facilitates the use of a natural finger grip. A naturalfinger grip closely mimics the body mechanics of eating with one'shands, and can facilitate the use of flatware, especially to those withdeveloping or diminished motor skills. Note that the FIGS. 5A-5B and7A-7C depict the toddler spoon bowl 204 and FIGS. 6A-6B depict thetoddler fork 206 for the present invention. However, it should beappreciated that a natural finger grip may also be achieved through amultitude of handle shapes and sizes, e.g. ring-shaped handles,ball-shaped handles, half-moon-shaped handles, etc. It should beunderstood that any and all such alternative embodiments still fallwithin the spirit of this claim.

It will be appreciated that variations of the above disclosed and otherfeatures and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications. Also thatvarious presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives,modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequentlymade by those skilled in the art which are also intended to beencompassed by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flatware apparatus, comprising a utensil formaintaining a food to be consumed; and a handle attached perpendicularto said utensils for picking up said food with and putting said foodinto a mouth of a user using a natural finger grip, said handle securedbetween a thumb and tips of fingers of said user.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said utensil comprises a spoon bowl.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein said utensil comprises a fork.
 4. The apparatus of claim1 wherein said handle comprises a flat handle with rounded edges andcorners.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said handle comprises aback edge that is large enough so that said back edge rests against acrease of a palm of a folded hand for a secure grip thereof.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said handle comprises a flat handle withrounded edges and corner and wherein said handle comprises a back edgethat is large enough so that said back edge rests against a crease of apalm of a folded hand for a secure grip thereof.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 2 wherein said handle comprises a flat handle with rounded edgesand corners.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said handle comprises aback edge that is large enough so that said back edge rests against acrease of a palm of a folded hand for a secure grip thereof.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 3 wherein said handle comprises a flat handle withrounded edges and corners.
 10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein saidhandle comprises a back edge that is large enough so that said back edgerests against a crease of a palm of a folded hand for a secure gripthereof.